New York, NY May 11, 2007 The Harford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University College of Nursing, in collaboration with the American Journal of Nursing, has been awarded a $2,622,560 grant from The John A Hartford Foundation to produce and distribute demonstration videos and a companion series of journal articles for teaching nurses the use of geriatric health assessment tools. Terra Nova Films will partner with AJN to produce the videos.
"Health assessment of older adults is important because illness in older people often looks different than in younger ones," said Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, principal investigator, and director of The Harford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. "Yet few faculty or care providers outside of the geriatric specialty are prepared to conduct or teach assessments specific to older adults, despite the prevalence of this population."
The need for teaching assessments of older adults is even more urgent in associate degree programs since, to date, other geriatric assessment initiatives have focused primarily on higher degree programs. Given that 63% of those entering the nursing workforce are graduates of associate degree nursing programs, the need for this preparation is paramount.
The project will translate and disseminate the highly accessible Try This tool box of geriatric assessment tools, created by The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, into 30 web-based, no-cost demonstration videos and articles for faculty, students and graduates. The tool box provides knowledge of best practices in the care of older adults in a way that is easy to understand and implement by all direct-care nurses. Using actual nurses, patients and their families, the new video materials will demonstrate how geriatric assessments should be conducted, interpreted and communicated to plan the care for an older adult. Accompanying these videos will be a complementary series of continuing-education articles publ
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Contact: Cindy Gessell
clgessell@msn.com
201-652-4778
American Journal of Nursing
11-May-2007